


Phase 1- "A New Chapter"

by ThePurpleAvenger



Series: Superhero 101 [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Other, Reader Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:49:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6024345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleAvenger/pseuds/ThePurpleAvenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when you break into the New Avengers Training Facility? A whole lot.</p><p>Check out marveling-imagines on Tumblr for more content!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome

Hello! This is a series that I have posted on Tumblr (marveling-imagines), that I am now posting on here. Enjoy!


	2. Lesson 1

**SUPERHERO 101**

**Lesson 1: How to properly break into a high tech security system and evade capture.**

_“And you say your a master thief?_

This was an easy job- get in, steal a certain Avenger’s bow, get out undetected. You had far more dangerous jobs. Like when an old friend of yours asked you to break into a highly secured vault in the Nova Corps and steal a certain artifact. Now that had been fun. 

You shook your head, focusing only on the door in front of you. Your hand twitched and the door creaked open silently. A grin spread across your face- your mutant gene was the only good thing your parents had ever given you. You creeped inside the dark, silent building, and even your minor telepathic abilities could tell you no one was awake. Perfect. A ball of fire erupted in your hand and you held it aloft in front of the door. This is it, you thought to yourself gleefully, last job and then I’m free to do what I please. You pressed your fiery hand to the metal door in front of you, and it melted a hole just big enough for you to squeeze into to. 

The fire in your palm disappeared as you crept into the dreary room. Where would that cursed bow be? You couldn’t light another fire in fear that the occupant would awake. But maybe you could send out vines to feel out the room, or…? 

Your telepathic abilities warned you that there was someone behind you, but it was too late. “Shit.” you muttered under your breath, as you felt the cold tip of an arrow in the middle of your back. Why couldn’t I get more impressive telepathic abilities rather than my minor ones? you whined to yourself. You mind whirled with different ideas to save yourself, but you knew all of them would end with an arrow through your midsection. 

“Shit indeed, my friend,” the male voice said behind you. Light flickered on, and you blinked as your eyes tried to adjust to the sudden brightness. “Put your hands in the air and turn around. Slowly.” 

You did as you were told, you hands held high. You realized that the man held the bow you were trying to steal, and that this must be the owner of the bow. Clint Barton- Hawkeye. 

Recognition flashed in his eyes, and a smug grin spread across his face. “(Y/N) (Y/L/N), also known as Genesis. Perpetrator of several of biggest heists of our time. Yet, you couldn’t get in here undetected. And you call yourself a master thief?" 

You gritted your teeth in annoyance. How dare this man criticize your work? Someone must have tipped him off. "How did you know I was here?” you asked, and even you could hear the hostility in your voice. 

Hawkeye let out a chuckle. “You can’t trust thieves, (Y/N),” he paused for a moment, and you could hear some of his thoughts. _Should I offer it to her? You saw the footage of her in Rome- she could be a good asset._

“Ask me already,” you said, and he raised and eyebrow. “The offer your contemplating in that head of yours." 

He chuckled again, lowering his bow. Your eyes widened in surprise at his gesture, but you didn’t attack him. “I tell you what, (Y/N),” he said, his voice steady and calm. “My team’s been watching you for a long time, ever since the Rome incident. And we think you’d be a valuable member of the Avengers.” 

You gasped, your mind whirling. The possibility to be part of a true team again? Not part of a petty thieves organization, where you had no true friends. _You could help people again,_ you mind whispered, _you could make your sister proud. Make yourself proud._ The little voice in your mind was right. It was time to stop being the bad guy, and start being a good guy again, like when you were a kid. 

With your mind set, you gazed into the man’s dark eyes. “I’ll take you up on your offer, Clint Barton,” you replied, your voice swimming with emotion. 

He grinned widely, shaking your hand. “Welcome to the Avengers, (Y/N). I think you’ll like it here.” 


	3. Lesson 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint and Steve see where your loyalties lie.

**SUPERHERO 101**

**Lesson 2: How to gain the trust of people you just tried to rob.**

_“Welcome to the Avengers, Genesis. I think you’ll like it here.” ___

__You sat in a cold, metal, and extremely uncomfortable chair at a metal desk. The room you were in was bland, with gray walls, and a two-way mirror. You only knew it was a two-way mirror because even your sucky telepathy could tell you that a whole team of people were staring at you through it. Awesome._ _

__The door creaked open, and two men walked in. One was Clint, who gave you a cheeky grin, and the other was the blonde god of sex: Steve Rogers. You had never met the Captain before, but you had seen pictures of the fine specimen before you. But, you ignored the fluttering in your stomach to keep your cool._ _

__“What’s with the lodgings?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought hawk boy over here said you guys wanted me.” you jutted your chin to Clint, and the two men exchanged a glance._ _

__The Captain sat done, Clint following his lead. “Well, you did try to rob us,” Steve said, frowning at you._ _

__You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. “Okay, I’ll admit it. Yes, I tried to steal hawk boy’s bow, but it wasn’t my fault, all American.” you slumped in your seat, a tight expression on your face._ _

__“Then who’s fault is it, (Y/N)?” Clint gave you a look, and you could tell by his outward thoughts that he didn’t believe you._ _

__Right as you started to reply, you felt a pressure in your head. You suddenly sat straight in your seat, ignoring the glances you were getting from the two men. Your eyes scanned the room, before the settled on the mirror. The telepath trying to get into your head was right outside._ _

__“I’ll tell you who’s fault it is when you tell me who’s trying to get into my head,” you snapped, immediately being filled with distrust._ _

__As you said that, the onlookers’ eyes all shot to brunette woman standing in their midst. Wanda’s eyes widened, as you met her gaze. Her brother put a hand on her shoulder, and his sister bit her lip in hesitation to look in your mind further._ _

__“Easy, Genesis,” Steve said, trying to calm you done. He could tell that you had some trust issues, and didn’t like the wild look that entered your eyes. “That’s Wanda Maximoff, she’s part of our team,” the wild look still didn’t disappear, and the Captain was afraid he’d lose you. “She’ll stop.“ he tried._ _

__You immediately felt the pressure disappear from your head, and you let out a sigh of relief. Relaxing, you gave the Captain a grateful smile. “You wanna know who’s fault it is?” you asked, and the men nodded. You bit your lip, trying to ignore the loud thoughts of the watchful audience. “My master’s.” you spit the two words out, and even the words brought up painful memories._ _

__Clint frowns sat you, leaning forward intently. “Your master?” he asked, and you nodded your head._ _

__“You have a master?” Steve asked, and you nodded. Your stomach felt like you were riding a roller coaster. Whenever you thought about your master, that horrible feeling in your stomach returned._ _

__“I do, and he’s the reason I’m here,” you let out a sigh. As long as you’d be on their tea, they deserved to know why you tried to rob them. “Whenever someone enters the guild, they have a master. The master trains their apprentice, sparing no expenses. And when the apprentice’s training is over, they have to pay back every single penny.”_ _

__The room fell silent for a moment, and the two men exchanged a glance. “This mission was to pay him back?” Clint asked softly, as he noticed your revulsion with how you described the training experience._ _

__“Yes, it was my last mission. I have no loyalty to him,” you spat out with such malice and hatred, that all doubts the Captain had about you disappeared. He realized that you weren’t really a thief, you were a slave trying to pay your debt._ _

__Steve got up from his suddenly, and your eyes flashed to his. “Welcome to the Avengers, I think you’ll like it here.”_ _


	4. Lesson 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's your first full day at the Avengers faculty.

**SUPERHERO 101**

**Lesson 3: How to keep up in training, and not show how intimated you are by your fellow team mates.**

_“You might make a decent Avenger, might not.”_

Today was your first full day at the Avengers headquarters. Yesterday had consisted of you sneaking it your now deserted apartment, getting settled in, and getting distrustful looks from your now team mates. Sure, it may have hurt a little when after Sam Wilson had passed you, he patted his pocket, but you knew it just took time to get used to, well, you. They’d love you- eventually.

You took a deep breath in as you stood in front of the closed door to the training center. _Come on (Y/N),_ you scolded yourself. _You’re Genesis. Stop being a scared little mouse and get in there._ Swinging open the door, you stepped in to see that everyone had paused to look over at you.

The psychic you thought was named Wanda took a hit by the scary looking red haired woman, and she let out a hiss. Hawk-boy had paused in what looked like shouting at a white haired (attractive) young man, while all-American had stopped his punching of a bag. You noticed that Sam, the guy who eyed you oddly and muttered something like “Better not take my suit,” and the robot were missing.

Setting you nerves aside, you gave them all a smile. “Hi team mates. You may proceed.” Steve let out a sigh, and walked over to you. The rest of them went back to what they were doing.

“You’re late,” Steve frowned, crossing his arms. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. Today, you’re going to spar against Pietro-” he jutted his chin towards the attractive man you had seen when you came in. “-so Natasha and I-” his gaze rested onto the scary looking woman. “-can see where you’re at. Powers can be used.”

You raised a thin eyebrow, a smirk on your face. “Well, it won’t take long. I’ll take him down in thirty seconds tops.” you remarked cockily.

Steve chuckled and shook his head. “Sure, rookie. Get on over there.” you obeyed, rolling your eyes. Pairing you off with a boy who looked like he had so much ego, there wasn’t any room for any personality? You’d enjoy knocking it down a few steps.

As you stepped on the mat, Pietro was already there, Clint going out of the room. Natasha, Steve, and Wanda were all standing on the side, and the red head was smirking. “So you’re the thief,” he had a thick European accent, and a cocky tone to his voice.

“Sure am, pretty boy,” you grinned at him, and he growled at you. You cracked your neck, before shaking your body out. You were ready.

“Begin.” Steve boomed, and Pietro suddenly disappeared. You blinked in surprise, before you felt a punch to your stomach. Gasping, you saw the white haired man dart away in a flash of light. So he was a speedster. It made things more complicated, but you could take him.

Stomping hard on the ground, it started to rumble, and twisted underneath you. There was a thump, and Pietro was on the ground. But before you could even revel in your small victory, he was already up and running away. You gritted your teeth and used your weak telepathic abilities. They were just powerful enough to hear the thoughts of an incoming enemy. You quickly put up a telekinetic shield, and the room shook again as Pietro slammed into it. In a flash, you were on the ground holding him down. You smirked down at him as you felt vines trapping him.

“Hoped in this situation there’d be less clothes, no?” he teased, and you jumped away from him. Pietro grinned at you, and you let the vines fall away, before letting him up. Before anything else could be said or down, your shield flared up, and the ground shook. You let out a gasp of surprise, before they both stopped.

No one seemed to notice, except for Pietro, who gazed at you curiously. “Well done, (Y/N),” Steve praised, and you were shaken out of you thoughts.

“Thank you, Cap,” you smiled at him, and he smiled back. You turned towards Pietro. “Good job, speedie.” you held out a hand, and he took it. Instead of shaking it, he kissed it. You let out a laugh, and he gave you a sultry wink.

“You might make a good Avenger, might not,” Natasha commented, but there was a little smile on her red lips. She patted you on the back, and you beamed.

Wanda smiled at you, and you could sense her apology. “Anyone who takes down my brother is friend,” her accent was thick, but you could tell the sincerity in it. It had been a long time since you had felt this kind of companionship. Hell, since you were called Archon and still had family. But you were planning on making this last.


	5. Lesson 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your guard is down.

**Lesson Four: How to be relax with your team mates, and open up to them.**

_“I think you’ve finally opened up.”_

You were taking a lazy day. The past two weeks had been training hell to you. 3 hours of training with Clint and Natasha, 1 hour of sparing with Steve, 2 hours of ability training with Pietro and Wanda, and 2 hours of tactical and endurance training with Rhodey and Sam. And you deserved this lazy day, consisting of reading, music, snacks, and Netflix.  
Yawning, you threw your hand in your bowl, and frowned as you realized you had to get up and refill it.

You tip toed out of the room, humming along to a song playing on your head phones. As you reached the kitchen, you walked over to the pantry, still humming. Waving your hand and concentrating, a bag of pretzels floated out and into your hands.

You smiled triumphantly, and let out a little squeal. But then you froze, as you heard the faint whispers of thoughts. You turned around slowly to see your team staring right at you. You braced yourself for the condescending thoughts to race to you, but all you got was amusement.

Sam had a smile on his face, and his thoughts reached you first. _Ah, look how cute little (Y/N) is. All happy to get food._ Rhodey’s heart melted a little towards you, as he realized you were just like the rest of them.

Wanda and Pietro’s were almost identical, as both of there mouths were open. They were full of shock that you were smiling and looked happy. The Vision was happy to see you so open. Clint was triumphant, and had a smug look on his face. Knew she’d like it here.

Natasha’s and Steve’s thoughts came to you last. _Huh, guess I owe Clint five bucks_ , Natasha thought, but had small smile on her face. Steve’s eyes widened a bit, and he bit his bottom lip. _Damn, she was the one stealing the pretzels? Should have figured that out._

You finally realized that these were your team mates, and you could trust them. They wouldn’t betray you, they wouldn’t abandon you, they were here for you now. And you were their friend.

“Hi,” you squeaked out, and smile on your face. You removed your ear buds. “Can I sit with you guys?” you asked hopefully.

“Of course, _lyublyu,_ ” Wanda said fondly, patting the seat next to her. You beamed, and quickly moved to sit next to her. She squeezed your shoulder, her eyes bright. “I think you finally opened up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lyublyu- love.


	6. Lesson 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get your super suit.

**Lesson Five: How to wear the supersuit.**

_“Does it really look that bad?”_

You sucked in a breath as the tailor finally zipped up your suit. She gave you a kind smile and patted your cheek affectionately. “You look beautiful, dear.” she reassured you, and you smiled weakly. You had been in with Mrs. Taylor, the team tailor, for at least an hour and a half as she made final adjustments for your suit.

It had been about two months since you joined the Avengers, and the team had to drag you into get measured. And you had a lot of demands. It had to be fire retardant (once, your suit had been burned off mid mission), water proof (walking in a wet suit sucks majorly), breathable and durable (fighting in a skin tight suit that tears easily is not fun), and be light weight (hey, jumping on buildings with a heavy suit is not easy). But, Mrs. Taylor had done an excellent job, even though you hadn’t seen yourself in it yet. It felt soft on your skin, but the material looked tough.

Giving you a look over, she nodded her head absently. “I think you’re all done, deary,” she said cheerfully, the older woman adjusting her glasses. “Go out and shock the team. I’ll bring a mirror out in a moment.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Taylor,” you said warmly, as you parted the curtains and walked out. All conversation stopped as everyone took you in.

Sam’s mouth had dropped open, and Rhodey gulped. Clint choked on the water he was drinking, his eyes bulging out of his head. Natasha gave him a hard pat on his back, and gave you a thumbs up. Wanda had a giddy expression on her face, and Pietro had an equally shocked and intrigued look on his face. Steve gave you a once over, gulped, and smiled slightly, the blonde man blushing.

“So?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “Does it really look that bad?” you added sarcastically, cocking your head ever so slightly to the side.

“No,” Steve got out, the usually confident man struck shy. “Just take a look at yourself.” he said, as Mrs. Taylor brought a mirror and placed it in front of you.

At first, you didn’t recognize yourself. Your Master always had you in a pair of tight, uncomfortable pants and a heavy, non-breathable padded jacket with a hood attached. But now, you looked in your element.

The suit had two parts, a top and a bottom. The bottom was a tight, black pair of pants with attached shoes that felt flexible, and gold on the seams. You even did a high kick just to prove it. The material look slightly like it had scales, and it was equal parts warm and cool. The top made your figure look wonderful, without looking like one of those horrible heroines from the movies. It was made of the same material and the same color of the pants, with the zipper and the seams being gold. She had given you a pair of gloves that you now put on and flexed your fingers. Your hair was braided back, and you didn’t even notice the black eyeliner on your eyes.

“This is amazing,” you got out, your mouth falling open at the beautiful, yet sophisticated suit.

“Oh but there’s more Ms. (Y/N),” Mrs. Taylor said, winking at you and standing next to you in the mirror. “You gloves and shoes have a special setting on them that make them sticky, and will help you to climb walls. Next, your suit is made up of a highly valued material. It’s nearly indestructible, made up of similar elements to vibranium. The tech guys also-” she grabbed one of your gloved hands and pressed a button. “-added this.”

The whole room was filled with gasps as your whole body shimmered and faded out of existence, with only your head remaining. Mrs. Taylor flipped up the hood at the back of your suit, and then your head faded away too. “It’s great for stealth missions.” she added, a big grin on your face.

You turned to her, and pressed the button to turn visible. “Thank you,” you said sincerely. “This means a lot to me.” your voice cracked, and you could feel tears prickling in your eyes. No one, since you left the Insistute, had given your mission attire a second thought. And standing in front of a mirror wearing a suit designed by a caring woman, and surrounded by the people who cared enough for you to be protected, you realized how much they actually cared and loved you.

Your inner monologue was interrupted by a buzzing the room. Your gaze immediately shot to Steve, who met your questioning glance. “Get ready to use your suit, Genesis. It’s time for your first mission.”


	7. Lesson 6

**Superhero 101**

****Lesson Six: How to go into your first mission and not show how scared shitless you are.** **

_“It felt like your heart’s on fire, and your body’s the fuel.”_

Your foot bounced nervously as Hawkeye flew the quinjet toward the new Hydra base. You had never been in a big mission like this before. You were Genesis the master thief, and you only had dealt with small skirmishes, not huge battles! But, you were confident in the Avengers training of you. 

“(Y/N)?” Wanda’s lovely accented voice broke you out of your thoughts. You looked up to see the brown haired witch and her sexy brother standing before you. Your weak telepathic powers told you that they were both worried about you. “Do you mind if we sit next to you?” 

“Not at all,” you answered, jumping at the opportunity for some company. The twins sat down on either side of you, and Pietro put an arm around you. 

The white haired speedster grabbed your hand, and you looked over at him in shock. “Are you okay, _lyublyu?_ ” he asked in concern. “You’re nervous, no?” 

You nodded, biting your lip. “I know it’s ridiculous,” you said quickly, the words spilling out of your mouth. “But I’m scared that something will happen to you guys and it’ll be all my fault. M-my powers,“ you stuttered over that word, and a knot forming in your chest. “They aren’t what they used to be. They’re chaotic and I’m afraid that when I’ll use them, I’ll accidentally hurt my team and it’ll be all my fault and I won’t have people who care about me anymore.” As soon as the words left your mouth, you realized that everyone on the jet heard your confession. A blush appeared on your chest, and you crossed your arms defensively. 

“Oh, _lyublyu,_ ” Wanda said gently, her brown eyes watering up. “You don’t have to be afraid. We are your team and we believe in you.” 

Steve came over and kneeled down in front of you. You avoided eye contact, which was uncommon for you. ”(Y/N), we’ve all trained you to the best of our abilities. You’re one of the most powerful mutants any of us have met.“ there was a chorus of nods and quiet yes’. 

“Yeah, princess,” Sam added, the man smiling., crossing his arms. “You beat me in your third week of training, and look better doing it.” Everyone laughed, and even you cracked a smile. 

“Genesis, you may be a thief, but you’ve become a hell lot more than that.” the red headed woman looked at you with a glimmer in her eyes. You met her eyes, and you read the underlying thoughts in her head. She thought you were probably the most powerful members of the team, hell, everyone was thinking that. 

You took a deep breath, and squeezed Pietro’s hand. The twins immediately smiled as they saw that burning glimmer of determination and courage enter your eyes. “You’re right,” you finally said as the plane started to touch down. “I am capable.” 

Everyone smiled at you, and you could read the relief in their eyes. “Alright people,” the Captain said, going from comforting friend to strict leader. “The base is a highly fortified, and our intel told us there are at least three mutants and or Inhumans,” Clint slipped in from the cockpit, and Steve nodded at him. “Rhodey and Sam, you’ll go in first from the air, and draw their attention skywards. Nat, Clint and I will go in after them and attack their front forces. The twins and (Y/N) will go in after us and go after the powered enemies. Got it?” the team nodded. “Good. Get ready, we leave in ten minutes.” 

The team split up, as each different person went to their packed mission back. You had been instructed since your third week with the team to keep a bag ready that would be full of your mission needs. Unzipping the bag, you started to strap on your different weapons. 

First, you started with your several knives. You strapped two to your thigh, one to your side, and another one inside of your suit. You preferred using knives to guns, as you could easily call them back to you telekinetically. Next came your whip. It gleamed silver in the light and a small grin appeared on your face. That whip had nearly cost you and your friend Peter’s lives. And finally, you tested out your powers. You always chose one main one to use, and today you chose fire. 

A sliver a fire lighted on each of your fingertips. You were fascinated to see that the material of your suit didn’t even look irritated at all. You definitely had to thank Mrs. Taylor when got back to the base. 

“Avengers!” the Captain’s loud voice broke you out of your thoughts. The super soldier had his mask pulled down over his face, and a determined look on his face. “Time to move out!” the effect of his words were immediate. Sam and Rhodey both filed out of the jet, both of them giving you a small smile. Cap and the assassins moved out too, while the three of you stayed behind for the signal. 

The twins flanked you as you called a ball of flames to your hands. They both watched, fascinated, as it danced across your palm. “Oh, that’s beautiful.” Wanda breathed, as your display distracted her from the mission. 

“Thanks,” you answered, as you closed your hand to extinguish the flame. “Did the Captain give any information about what kind of powered individuals we’re working with.” 

Pietro shook his head, the platinum haired man adjusting his shoe. “No, just that they were powered.” there was a hint of annoyance in his voice, and you felt sympathetic towards him. 

Before you could reply, the Captain’s voice was heard through the intercom. “We need you, now!” the three of you exchanged a worried glance, before Pietro shot off with Wanda in his arms, leaving you behind. 

_Of course,_ you grumbled in your head as you ran out of the jet, _leave (Y/N) to fend for herself._ Your breath fogged in front of you, but you were surprisingly warm. The suit kept you insulated, but you could tell you wouldn’t get overheated. 

As you neared the battle, you could hear the sounds of yelling and gun shots. Anxiety rose in your chest, but you ignored it and kept on going. A Hydra soldier appeared in front of you, and before he could yell, you had hit him straight in the throat, before kicking him where it hurt the most. 

A wry grin spread across your face as adrenaline entered your body. You always like the feeling of your heart beating faster, and the feeling of being a primal animal. 

“Genesis, watch out!” someone yelled behind you, ripping you out of your reverie. Whipping around, you saw a giant tank, primed with giant gun, pointed at you. You heard a scream in the distance, and lit your hand on fire. 

The smug expressions on the Hydra agents faces evaporated, and turned to their commander with fear in their eyes. The grizzled old man growled at them. “ _Tötet die verdammte Kreatur! Es ist ein Dämon in menschlicher Form! Es muss so hell brennen, wie dass Feuer in seinen Händen.Ich denke ich brenne hell genung._ ” you spat, as Pietro ran up to you. 

“Are you okay?” he asked anxiously, the blonde haired man uncharacteristically nervous. Pietro put a hand on your cheek, biting his lip. “I thought you were right behind me.” 

“Just peachy,” you replied, a sarcastic tone to your voice. “Not that I’m hurt that you just left me in the dust or anything." you added. "Nope, not at all.” 

Before the speedster could reply, and Cap’s voice came over your intercom. “Pietro, (Y/N), stop flirting and come join the fight. We need you two freaks.” 

You laughed, pressing the intercom. “Don’t worry, Cap. Speedy will get us there in a second.” you glared at the European man, who then picked you up in his arms. 

“Better hold on, _lyublyu._ ” the soft tone to his voice was gone, and was replaced by the sarcastic tone he always had. Before you could even blink, the two of you were flying throughout the air. You let out a scream, and Pietro chuckled. And as soon as it started, you two stopped. 

Jumping quickly out of his arms, you surveyed the scene. Each member was holding their own against the hordes of Hydra agents, but you could tell they weren’t making any difference. Gritting your teeth, you summoned fire. Heat filled you body, and it felt delicious to you. It felt like your heart was on fire, and your body was the fuel- and you liked it. The fire that pooled in your hands looked like molten lava, and the snow around you hissed and steamed as fire dripped from your palms onto the ground. You picked your target- the big building that you assumed was the headquarters. “Falcon, War Machine, I could use a lift.” you said in your intercom, as the fire built in your hands. 

“I got you, princess,” Sam replied in your ear, and as soon as he said that, you felt yourself being lift into the air. “Where to?” he yelled in your ear as your feet brushed the tips of the trees. 

“That big building!” you yelled back, your hair whipping you in the face. “And hurry- my gloves are melting!” Sam whipped you through the air, and you soon hovered over the thankfully wooden building. Gathering the fire into your hands, you started to throw it onto the building. Almost immediately, you saw the effect it had on the building. Fire raced across the roof, and people raced out of the building. 

But what you weren’t prepared for was the blonde haired man that ran out, shouting orders behind him. Your breath hitched in your throat, and you felt your stomach drop. “Sam, drop me down, right now!” 

The severity of your tone surprised him, and the Falcon could feel your body getting hotter the longer he held you. Letting out a surprised hiss, he dropped down out of the sky and dropped you onto the ground. 

The other members of your team paused in their fighting, as the watched you in amazement. You ran across the snow covered ground, faster than they had ever seen you. Snow melted as you stepped on it, and golden lava dripped of you. You ran towards a man, and jumped on his back, dropping him to the ground. 

“Lucas,” you hissed, and everyone listened over the intercom. The hatred in your voice surprised them, and the all watched in shock. 

The deviously handsome man grinned up at you, his blue eyes widening. “Well look who it is,” he drawled in a Southern accent. “My fiancee.” 


	8. Lesson 7

**Superhero 101**

**Lesson 7: How to conduct a proper interrogation.**

_“When shit happens, I tend to ignore it until I can’t take it anymore._

“Are you sure you should go in there alone?” Clint asked for what would be the hundredth time. Honestly, you were getting annoyed with his “fatherly protectiveness” routine. Sure, it was cute when he was Daddy Hawk to you and the twins, but right now, you felt like you were going to blow. It didn’t help the Sam and Rhodey were suddenly suspicious that you would let Lucas out (like you would ever), the twins hovering around you, Steve and Natasha peppering you with questions, and still being in day old mission clothes.

“Could you all just shut up!” you suddenly snapped, and fire sparked on your fingertips. “It’s not like I’m going to go in there, knock boots with the guy, then let him go! Are you saying I can’t take care of myself?” the team suddenly went quiet, and you could pick up thoughts of guilt.

You regretted the words as soon as they came pouring out of your mouth. Sighing, you sank down the wall outside of the interrogation room and cupped your head in your hands. You could hear Natasha pushing everyone out of the hallway, and the thump of her sitting down next to you.

“You’re not weak, (Y/N),” the red head said quietly, and you looked up at her. She was staring at the wall, her face expressionless. “We don’t think that either.”

You clenched your hands into fists and bit your lip. “Then why are they all fussing over me? I’m not going to betray them!”

The assassin looked over at you, a look of surprise on her face. “They’re fussing because they’re scared you’re gonna leave. That you’re gonna run away with your fiancee and leave them-us.”

“Ex,” you corrected, nibbling on your bottom lip. “And really?” you asked honestly, and she grabbed your hand.

“Really, and I know you wouldn’t do that,” she raised an eyebrow, and you nodded no. You knew in your heart this was where you belonged.

“Good. Go give that bastard hell.” and with that, Natasha was gone.

Getting up, you took a deep breath and walked to the door. Your hand shook over the knob, and you mentally yelled at yourself to just do it. Taking a deep breath, you yanked the door open and walked towards him.

Lucas’ eyes followed you and he let out a low wolf whistle. “Well, look at you,” his eyes raked your body, and you inwardly cringed. “All dolled up for me?” his voice was so familiar and sexy, that it took all your will power to not jump across the table and kiss him.

You sat down across from him and looked at your ex-fiancee in his blue eyes. “Why were you there, Lucas? Did he send you?” your team froze up as they heard a mention of the oh so mysterious Master.

The mutant only leaned back in his chair, and his shirt slid up, revealing that he still had that amazing body. His eyes followed yours and he smirked. "You sure that’s all you want to know?”

You crossed your arms and looked back up at the infuriating mutant. “Answer the question. And if you don’t, I’ve got friends out there-” you jerked your head towards the two-way mirror. “-who have other ways to convince you. And hey, maybe I’ll get a turn.” you felt confident, suddenly, after saying that. You were no longer the scared and obedient woman he proposed to three years ago.

The blonde man let out a laugh and shook his head, your newly found confidence slowly melting away. “Oh, sugar, you do know your the least intimidating thing I’ve ever seen? How about this- you let me teleport us out of here, and then we can have some fun like we used to. Hell, I’ll even invite that Cajun you like so much.” Lucas’ voice was like pure sugar, and he gave you a devilishly charming voice. But you weren’t falling for that honey-coated voice again.

You suddenly got up from your chair and sat on the table next to him. His eyes brightened, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. “What are you doing, Lucas?” you leaned forward, your voice getting lower. “Why are you acting like nothing has changed?” your voice got so minuscule in tone, it was merely a whisper. All those emotions that you went through after you caught him cheating suddenly welled up in your chest. Your breath caught in your throat, and tears started to well up in your eyes.

That grin you started to hate slowly grew on his face. He leaned forward so that his chest was pressed against your breasts, and you could feel the heat radiating off of him. “Nothin’ has changed, Genesis,” his tone of voice mocked you. “You’re still mine, (Y/N). Just like you are still property of-”

Before he could finish, your fist was flying through the air, and you punched him as hard as you could in the face. He passed out cold, falling hard onto the cold ground. Breathing heavily, you stalked into the observation room, your teammates going silent. “(Y/N), are you-” Clint put a hand a hand on your shoulder, but you shrugged him off violently.

“What are you waiting for?” you snarled, and Genesis you were before joining the Avengers peaked through. Lucas’ Genesis. “Put a chip in him and get him the hell out of here.” and before anyone could react, you went running out of the room.

~~~

Steve had been looking everywhere for you. Your room, the rafters (Clint had shown you them), the pantry, even Wanda’s and Nat’s room. But the last place he would have looked for you would have been the training room. Hey, you had made your hate of training known to the team well known. But what was more unexpected was what you were doing.

You gave the punching bag one more solid kick, before jumping into the pool behind you. It had taken you thirty minutes to find this particular room with a swimming pool. Your body steamed with heat as you gasped for air after reaching the bottom of the pool. Heaving yourself out, you shivered in the cool air-conditioned room as water dripped off of you.

Here was the next part of the pattern that Steve recognized. You held out a hand in front of you, and the ground would start to shake. The captain watched in amazement as the ground moved in waves, and you would stop them before they reached the edge of the room. You then preceded to punch and kick the bag with a force so strong that even the super soldier himself was amazed

Before you could jump into the pool, you were interrupted by the big blonde man. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.” you whipped your head around to see Steve standing with his arms crossed behind you.

“Yeah, well, you weren’t supposed to find me,” you breaths were coming in gasps, but you were determined to not show how exhausted you were.

Steve walked to you and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder that you didn’t shrug off. He could tell you were in a vulnerable state by the way you wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Are you okay?”

Even though you could detect the concern in his voice, his words made you enraged. “Okay?” you hissed, your eyes blazing with anger. “I am not okay,” you spit that word out and let out a screech.

“My fin- excuse me, ex-fiancee,” you corrected yourself, pacing about the room. “He shows up with Hydra, on a job for my Master,” you screamed those last two words. “Saying that I’m still his, a-and-” you suddenly stopped, and Steve could see the fight drain out of you. “Steve, he made me look weak.” you looked up at him with you big eyes and collapsed into his arms.

Steve’s heart started to break for you. When Clint had first shown him your file, he had scoffed at his friend for even insinuating such a sassy girl could even be an Avenger. But now, he could see that was only a facade that you put up to protect yourself (and was he forming a crush on you? No, of course not, he assured himself nervously). “Is that why you’re in here? Because you’re afraid of looking weak?”

You let out a rueful laugh, wanting to stay protected forever in the Captain’s arms. “When shit happens, I tend to ignore it until I can’t take it anymore,” you mumbled

The Captain’s chest rumbled as he laughed. “How about you take the rest of the day off? I know the team won’t bother you about it until you’re ready to talk about it.”

“I’d like that,” you smiled up at him, and you could feel Lucas’ Genesis going back to where it came from. And the person you were now, the Avengers’ Genesis, coming back to where she belonged.


	9. Lesson 8

**SUPERHERO 101**

**Lesson 8: How to comfort a teammate.**

_“I won’t ever let anything happen to you, lyublu.”_

~~~

_You were having that dream again. Your heart beat wildly in your chest, your breath was coming out in gasps, and no matter how hard you tried, your powers weren’t working. Looking back behind you, terrified, you could see the muted forms of the things chasing you in the fog. Their roars and the scratching of their claws on cold earth was the only thing keeping you going._

_You weaved between the trees of the dark, foggy, and dreary forest of your dreams, trying to avoid tripping over rocks and gnarled roots. Panting, you ducked behind a tree, and listened closely, shutting your eyes. The roars and scratching faded into the distance, and you let out a small sigh of relief._

_Opening your eyes, your breath was caught in your throat. A lioness stood in front of you, licking its muzzle, and gazing at you with glowing green eyes. Backing up in terror, you let out a scream as you tumbled down a hill. You landed next to a puddle, and whimpered. Blood oozed down your knee, and you could feel a knot forming on the back of your head. But none of that mattered as you saw the lioness stalking up to you._

_In any other situation, you would have found it beautiful. The way its fur shone golden in the moonlight, its fluid movements, and intelligent eyes. It let out a low growl as it stalked up you, and you squeezed your eyes shut as its hot breath washed against your face. “You have to fight it, Genesis,” it seemed to murmur in your ear. “Only then can I, we, be free.”_

_But you ignored its voice, dismissing it as just a hallucination. “Fine,” it growled, swishing its tail. “We’ll just have to do this again.”_

~~~

You woke up, screaming, and clutching your neck as if you could still feel the lioness’ claws ripping it open. Gasping for breath, you tried to get untangled from the sheets on your bed. As you rolled onto the ground, you could see your breath in the air. Fire flickered in your hair, water dripped from your fingertips, and the ground rolled beneath you. Your hands shook as your door burst open.

Holding your hands up in a defensive position, one of your rarely used (and hardly seen) telekinetic shields flared into existence. The intruder bounced off it with a curse, and you squeezed your eyes shut in fear.

_“Lyblu?”_ Pietro called. The blue-eyed man was terrified as he saw the scene before him. He woke up to hear you screaming at the top of your lungs from across the hall, and he ran as fast as he had ever had into your room. But what he wasn’t expecting was to see you entangled in your blankets, a shimmering purple shield in front of you, and your powers out of control. The earth moved so much that Pietro had a hard time standing up. Red hot lava sizzled as dropped from your hair onto the ground, that was covered in an inch of water streaming from your fingertips. His breath was visible in the freezing air, and his hands started to feel numb.

You blinked slowly, gazing at him through the purple shimmering of your shield. “P-p-p-ietro?” your teeth chattered as your breath fogged in the air. You felt like your brain was moving in honey, and you were under a thick coat of ice.

The speedster tried to stick a hand through your shield, then hissed and jerked it back. You just blinked again, not comprehending what was happening. You were still in that dream fog, and it was terrifying him. “(Y/N), you got to put it down,” he spoke slowly and put his hands in front of him.

“Wh-h-hat d-d-down?” you stuttered, tripping over your own tongue. Your lips started to turn blue in the cold, but you didn’t notice. Nor did you notice the tremors getting slightly larger, or the puddle of water expanding, or even the fire dripping off of your hair.

Pietro started to back away from you as water slowly crept towards you, with fire sizzling behind it. Seeing you, tangled in sheets and incoherent, brought out a side in him that was only there when he saw Wanda. He couldn’t stand being able to do nothing for you, but he remained calm- for _you._ “(Y/N)?” his voice caught your attention, and you blinked slowly at him.

In your mind, you were still in the state between sleeping and being awake. Mist billowed out of your mouth as the temperature plummeted again. The floor started to roll more violently, the fire turned a molten gold, and the water dripping from your fingertips increased. Pietro could feel your shield grow stronger, the diameter of it growing larger. Your powers were trying to protect you from an enemy that wasn’t there. The terrifying nightmare wasn’t letting you go, and your powers were trying to protect you in any way they could. “W-w-w-hat?” your teeth were chattering so much that Pietro was afraid you’d bite your tongue.

“(Y/N), you remember when we first met, no?” he coaxed, and your eyes showed a little bit of life in them. 

“Y-y-y-es,” the lava seemed to fall slower from your hair, as your mind went to somewhere other than the horrible nightmare. “Y-ou were-e-e so fas-s-s-t.”

Pietro grinned at you, and you slowly returned it. The ground started to roll less frequently, and the temperature seemed to rise a few degrees. “Not as powerful as you lyublu,” his words were the things that seemed to break you.

You gasped, as if suddenly coming up from underwater, and your purple shield came crumbling down around you. The tremors stopped, the chilliness in the air slowly warming up, the fire ceasing, and the water slowing to a trickle. “Pietro,” you sobbed, your wide eyes meeting his blue eyes. 

In a second, you were in his laps, his strong arms locked around you. “Shh,” he gently stroked your hair as your body shook with sobs. “I won’t ever let anything hurt you, _lyublu._ ” In his head, he called out for the one person he knew would help. _Wanda,_ he pleaded silently in his head, _we need you._

You looked up at him, your pupils looking so big that your eyes looked black. “But she’ll find me again,” you gripped his shirt, and Pietro’s eyes widened at the fear in your voice. “The lioness said we would have to do it again.” your voice was almost hysteric and it broke his heart as you started to sob uncontrollably.

He held you closer to him, and he heard a little gasp behind him. Wanda was holding a hand over her mouth as she surveyed the scene in front of her. The floor had scorch marks on it, and water was trickling into holes that weren’t there before. Frost covered the walls, and floorboards were up in the air. And the most concerning thing to the brunette was the fear streaming from you. She pushed gently into your mind and could see the rerun of your nightmare playing repeatedly in your head. “Oh, _lyublu,_ ” she whispered, kneeling down next to you and her brother. “You poor, sweet, Genesis.”

You looked up meekly at her, and Pietro locked eyes with his sister. “Can you give make sure I have dreams, Wanda?” you asked quietly, and the brunette nodded. “Please do.” you shut your eyes and buried your head into Pietro’s chest. The speedster looked down at you protectively and nodded at his sister

Wanda could hear the exhaustion in your voice and laid a hand on your head. Red light streamed from her fingers, and you sighed peacefully as you slowly drifted off to sleep. 

The two siblings exchanged a glance, and then slowly moved you back to your bed. Pietro tucked you in, while Wanda made sure that you had a long and dreamless sleep. They both sat down next to you, and their eyes started slowly close. Soon, all three of you were sleeping soundly and weren’t awoken until the rest of the team found you.


	10. Lesson 9

**SUPERHERO 101**

**Lesson 9: How to handle an attacker without your powers.**

_"When am I not ready?”_

~~~

"What is the point of this again?” you asked, yawning in the early Saturday morning air. The team was out in what looked like an abandoned city (it was imaginatively called “The City”) but was actually a training area far enough from the new facility so that no one (or building) could be hurt. It was another one of Cap’s “Let’s all get outside right when the sun gets up, and hurt each other! Go, team!”. You had stayed up late last night with Sam, sharing drinks and stories, and you were a little hungover this morning. By the expression on the Falcon’s face, you could tell he was feeling the same.

"To learn how to handle multiple attackers who are empowered, and how to work with different people.” Steve was the only one out of the team who was bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. Wanda was nodding off on Pietro’s shoulder, while the speedster’s eyes started to glaze over. Rhodey looked like he was trying to listen, but kept on jerking his head up when it hit the top of his suit. Luckily for Clint and Natasha, the two had already flown out to visit Clint’s sister Laura and her kids.

"And if some of you had gone to bed earlier-” his eyes rested on you and Sam. The Falcon straightened next to you, while you kept your relaxed, slouched position. “-this early training could have been easier.”

You rolled your eyes, but you took a more alert posture, with your shoulders up and head up high. Even though Steve’s strict training regimen and “take-no-shit” attitude annoyed you and you did make sarcastic comments and question his authority, there was a strong bond between you. Ever since that day in the training room, you two had understood each other better. You were no longer the sarcastic, know it all, mutant Steve thought you were, but a kind, caring individual who was scared to show her true feelings and to trust people. And you now viewed Steve as not the stick-in-the-but leader he portrayed himself to be. He was courageous and loyal, and a lot like you, too scared to show his true emotions.

All these thoughts flashed before your eyes as you followed Steve’s examples. His blue eyes met (Y/E/C) ones, and they softened. “So, Cap, what are the teams?” Rhodey’s voice broke the two of you out of your silence, and turned to the Colonel.

”I’ll take the twins, and you can take the hungover duo,” you and Sam high-fived, while Rhodey groaned and the twins shared a smile. “The object of the game is to get a flag in the middle of the City that Clint planted before he left. My team will be over here-” the Captain motioned to the farthest end of the City. “-and Rhodey’s will start here. Each team gets ten minutes to come up with a strategy before everyone is fair game. You have to either render your opponent unmovable. Or hit them in the chest, stomach, or heard with one of the paintballs that the tech team has replaced for our regular bullets. Any questions?” everyone was silent, as they tried to come up with a good plan. “Good. My team lets move.” And with that, Steve was already running towards the other side.”

”Good luck, _lyubulu,_ ” Pietro teased, the European brushing past you to follow the Captain. “You’ll need it.”

You snorted, and his blue eyes flashed. “Sure, Speedy, it’ll be me who needs the luck.” you rebuked, and Wanda laughed, as Pietro picked her up in his arms. The brunette winked at you, her eyes red before they were both gone in a flash.

Turning back to your two teammates, Rhodey’s eyebrows were knitted together as he tried to think of a strategy. “We are severely outnumbered, aren’t we? Two regular joes and a mutant against a super soldier, a witch, and a guy who moves so fast you can’t seem him.” There was a bit of panic in his voice, and you could see Sam start to get nervous too.

”But we’ve got two guys who can fly with years of experience on their hands, and a mutant who can control the elements,” as soon as the words got out of your mouth, an idea started to form in your head.

Sam recognized the expression on your face, and a smile spread across his face. “What’s your idea princess? Somethin’ to even the odds?”

You copied his grin, but there was something feral and wild on your face. “It’ll definitely even the odds. But first, we got to shield our minds.”

Across the City, Wanda suddenly gasped as she was suddenly thrown out of your minds. Where she was just getting streams of emotion, there was just a blank space. Sam’s and Rhodey’s mind were blocked by a shimmering shield made of fire, that Wanda knew was you. For your own block, you were thinking of a memory that had nothing to do with what was happening.

”Wanda?” Steve pried, as Wanda blinked, the far away look disappearing from her eyes. “What did you find out?”

”They have a plan, but she blocked me,” Wanda replied, an annoyed tone in her voice. And from across the City, your lips spread into a slow smile.

Opening your eyes, you gave the two fliers a thumb up. “It worked, she has no idea what we are thinking.” There was a hint of confidence and pride in your voice, and Rhodey gave you an approving pat on the shoulder.

”Good job, kiddo. What’s the next step?” the Colonel asked, and the Falcon checked his clock. Five minutes left.

”How about leveling the playing field?” there was a mischievous tone to your voice as you suddenly crouched to the ground. The weak sunlight flashed off the scale like material of your suit as you pressed your gloved hands against the ground. Taking a deep breath, you shut off the rest of the world. Rhodey and Sam’s voice faded into the background, the world turned black as you felt and smelt the cold ground beneath your hands.

 _Fog,_ you thought, as tendrils of your power sunk beneath the ground. It sparked up the ground underneath you as the water in the soil started to rise up, and gather right under the surface. Fog, you though again, as thick, white fog rose the cold ground. You were shot back into reality, as Rhodey and Sam’s voices came back, along with the sight of gray and white as you opened your eyes.

”Genesis? (Y/N)?” there was a hand shaking your shoulder, as you blinked the world back into focus. Sam’s concerned face stared back at you, as he gently helped you up to your feet. “You alright?”

”Yeah,” you said breathlessly, blinking away black spots at the edge your vision. “It just took a lot of power making that fog.”

”Well, it definitely worked,” Sam laughed, as Rhodey let out a low whistle. The area around you was covered in a cloak of white. You could see the fog slowly get thicker and thicker, and bigger and bigger, until you could barely see the two men standing next to you. It was weird, it was like the fog _was an extension of you._ You could feel it brush against the buildings, and crawl across the ground. It was an amazing, yet terrifying feeling.

Shaking yourself out of your reverie as you realized how little time you had left, you finished the rest of your strategy. “Rhodey, you go after Pietro. He’ll be fast, but you’ll be able to see better from above the clouds.” he nodded, as his face mask dropped down. But before it did, you thought you detected a look of pride on his face. “Sam, you got Wanda. You’ve got a big advantage over her- she can’t get into your mind at all.” Sam nodded, and his wings erupted from his bag. “And that leaves me with Cap. Everyone ready?” The two men nodded, and without another word, they were off. The last thing Sam thought was that the air smelt of your perfume.

Across the City, the alarm dinged on Steve’s watch, just as the fog reach his team. His brows furrowed as he breathed in the smell of your perfume. Looking out the others next to him, he noticed the almost identical quizzical looks on their faces. But, he knew he couldn’t let himself get distracted by irrational thoughts. Nodding to the twins, Pietri was off in a blue flash, while Wanda melted into the white mass with a wink of red. And for Steve? He had a mutant to catch.

As the two men flew off, you unwound your whip from your arm. Unlike rest of your team, you disliked using guns if you didn’t have to. Your Master (even thinking about it made your bones burn) would punish you if you used too much of your powers, and forced you to use guns. But now that you were free of his control, you could use whatever you pleased. And your weapons of choice was your powers, silver adamantium whip, and your two long silver knives that were attached to your head. A wild smile grew across your face as you stepped into the fog.

It was probably not as difficult as the others members of your team as you navigated the fog. It diverted in front of you into two different paths, and you could see quite well. But every now and then, there would be the sound of gun fire or a flash of blue, and the fog would enclose around you in a protective shield. You weren’t even doing that- just like that one night with Pietro, your powers were acting on their own accord to protect you.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a twig cracking behind you. Whirling around, your whip cracked, and there was the sound of a body hitting the ground. The fog parted as you stalked up to see who it was. Wanda laid sprawled on her back, and with a gesture of your hands, the grass sprung up around her, encasing her in a blanket of green. She let out a curse in Sokovian, and you laughed. “You got Sam, didn’t you?” you asked, a smile on your face.

The brunette sighed, as she realized struggling was useless. “He dropped his own gun, and I shot him, it was too-” she suddenly stopped talking as her brown eyes widened, as she starred behind you.

Before you could turn around, a body came out of nowhere and plowed you to the ground. You snarled, and threw them off, and got up nimbly to your feet. In front of you, also standing, was Captain America himself. The blonde grinned at you, and just as you were going to do to him the same thing you did to Wanda, he held up a hand. “No powers.”

”What?” you asked in disbelief, as the two of you circled around each other. “You have your strength and size. That counts as powers,” you said accusingly, as fire crackled in your hair.

He shrugged and threw his gun and shield to the side. “Then we’ll make it even.” there was a challenge in his voice, and your pride wouldn’t let you turn him down. His blue eyes starred into yours, and you cursed under your breath.

”Fine,” you snarled. “No powers.” Internally, you pushed away your powers. You could feel the difference in the fog almost immediate. It was no longer alive and a part of you, but just normal fog. And that annoyed you.

”You ready?” there was a patronizing tone to his voice that made you want to gouge out his pretty little eyes.

”When am I not ready?” you hissed. You cracked your whip at your side, and in a flash, you threw one of your knives at his head. He rolled away from it, and was up again, punching you in the ribs. Staggering back, he took that opportunity to kick your leg out from under you. Now on the ground, you caught his leg in your whip, but he just dropped onto you, and grabbed your arms, and held them above you.  
Suddenly you were in that dream again, with the lioness pinning you down, and her hot breath on her cheek. There must have been some visible change in your face, as his eyes widened. Suddenly, you were the one pinning him down. Your breaths were coming out in rapid gasps, and fire started to flash in your hair.

”Genesis,” he said, his voice very gentle and come. “(Y/N), it’s okay, you’re not in danger.” your heart rate started to steady, and you rolled away from him in a gasp.

You had just been so caught up in that memory that you had acted on instinct. Steve offered you his hand, his eyes kind, and without hesitation, you took it. He pulled you in for a brief hug, before letting you go. “How about we get Wanda out? And I see Pietro in a net. I think he’s crying.”


	11. Lesson 10

**SUPERHERO 101**

**Lesson 10: How to kick back and relax ~~for a while.~~**

_“I haven’t been this relaxed in forever!”_

~~~

There was another knock on your door, and you let out a loud groan. “God damn, Sam! I said one more minute!” you called, pulling on your dress.

“(Y/N), it’s been five minutes. We’re going to be late!” he called, pounding on your door again. Letting out a sigh, you quickly grabbed your over the shoulder bag, and swiped on one last coat of lipstick. You flung open the door, Sam’s hand poised to knock once more. His mouth dropped open at the sight of you, not used to seeing you all dolled up.

You were wearing a pretty white dress that fell to your knees, and yellow daisies were sprinkled over it (and Sam couldn’t tell if they were part of your dress, or if you grew them). Your hair was is loose waves, and your lips were a bright, mesmerizing red. There was a light blush on your cheeks, your eyelids sparkled, and your eyeliner was winged. You looked like a perfect tableau.

Sam opened his mouth, then closed it, and repeated the action three times. Rhodey, who was leaning on the wall next to your door, let out a low whistle. “Why, (Y/N), you look absolutely amazing,” he said, a proud look in his eyes.

“Thanks, James,” you answered, giving him a bright smile. Sam was still staring at you in shock, and you rolled your eyes. “Come on, Sam! We’re going to be late!” you mocked, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Rhodey roared in laughter, while Sam snapped out of his trance, blushing slightly. “Yeah, let’s go,” he grumbled, and walked away, leaving you and Rhodey to laugh.

 

An hour later, you had finally arrived in **the** city: New York City. You breathed in the city air as you stepped out of the SUV. The rest of the Avengers filed out, and Pietro’s eyes widened as he gazed upon the city for the first time. “ _Bozhe,_ ” he whispered. “It’s so big.” he fidgeted in his baggy shirt and skinny jeans, trying to look at everything at once.

You let out a small laugh at his amazement. “Sure is,” you agreed, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Welcome to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Pietro.”

The Sokovian’s attention drifted down to you, and he leaned down. “I think I’ve seen something that far surpasses New York,” his breath tickled your ear, and your heart sped up until you thought he could hear it. Leaning back up, Pietro smirked at the blush on your face, and kissed you on the forehead, walking over to his amazed sister. _Dear God, he is actually going to give me a heart attack one day,_ you thought to yourself, as you watched the speedster strut back over to his sister.

“Okay, everyone!” your attention snapped to Steve, as he climbed out of the driver’s seat, standing next to you, and locked the car. He wore a baseball cap low over his face, and a tight shirt that showed off his muscles. “Today is the first time Pietro and Wanda have been to New York-”

“My first time since I was a kid!” you piped in, but Steve ignored your outburst.

“-so let’s try to show them what makes this city great, okay?” everyone nodded, and Steve finally relaxed, his posture slumping, and his blue eyes growing brighter. “Good. Wanda?” he said, turning towards the brunette haired girl. She nodded, taking a deep breath as red energy dripped from her fingers. It made a bubble around her and Pietro, ruffling her gray dress, before spilling out towards the other Avengers. Natasha flinched slightly as it crept towards her, but she stood still as it engulfed her and Clint. Sam and Rhodey were next before it finally reached Steve and you. From the look on his face, you could tell he was a bit wary of the idea, and you squeezed his hand, giving him a smile. He smiled back, as the red energy finally covered you and it felt like your fog ~~and it felt like she was in control. and the lion was jealous as she wanted that wanted control, she wanted to feel power.~~

“Can no one see us now?” you asked, breaking the silence. 

Wanda frowned as if trying to find the words to express it. “Not exactly,” she answered, her voice slow and almost muffled. “Our faces and voices are disguised, so no one but us can see the truth.” 

“That’s so cool!” you exclaimed, and everyone laughed (to your chagrin). 

Once Wanda’s spell was cast, everyone slowly started to move. Sam and Steve guided Wanda and Pietro through the city (They were so cute, you thought to yourself), while Rhodey chimed in every now and then with a piece of information they forgot. You hung in the back with Clint and Natasha. Clint had one arm slung around your waist, and the other around Nat’s shoulders. They shared stories with you from their SHIELD days, and you told them stories from your thief days. 

“-so Remy shows up, half naked and hungover, looking for his belt, scaring the hell out of me, and I nearly sent him straight to hell!” you finished, tears leaking from your eyes from laughing so hard. Clint was doubled over in laughter, while Nat shook her head, but her amusement showed on her face. 

Did you get the diamond?” she asked, her lips twitching into a smile at your red face. 

You shook your head, trying to catch your breath. “No,” you finally said, your voice breathy. “Remy was so drunk that while he was grabbing it, he knocked it over, and it shattered into a million pieces!” Clint was just catching his breath, when he had another fit of laughter. _I haven’t been this relaxed in forever,_ you thought to yourself, as a gentle sea breeze ruffled your dress, filling your nose with the smell of salt and comfort. 

“Oh, God!” he wheezed, standing up, and wiping tears from his face. “That sounds like something Gumbo would do.” 

You nodded in agreement, as he wrapped his arm around your waist once again, your nose suddenly filled with the smell of his minty aftershave and the faint smell of Nat’s sweet lavender perfume on his cheek. “Exactly! So when we return to the hotel…” the peppiness and laughter drained out of your voice as you froze in the street, gazing at a closed store. 

~~~~

~~~~

Clint was yanked back when you stopped, and he sent his best friend a curious glance. Your eyes were wide as you looked at the closed store in front of you. _Jean’s Books,_ it read, and faint flowers could be seen on the fading red sign. Tears glistened in your eyes, and fire leapt in your hair. “(Y/N)?” he asked softly, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Are you okay?” 

Steve looked back, and he frowned at the scene. Clint saw Tasha give a tiny shake of her head, giving them a sign to stop before he turned his attention back to you. 

“This was her store,” your voice was small when you answered, and the archer noticed the slight shaking of the ground beneath you. “Before she died.” 

Clarity sparked in his eyes, and he pulled you into his arms, and you didn’t object. “Ah, (Y/N), I’m so sorry, kiddo,” he whispered into your ear, and you pulled back into reality, as you shook in his strong embrace. You saw Nat out of the corner of your eye, giving you a sympathetic smile, before snarling at a couple who was staring at you too long. But you could care less. You were stuck in the memory of- 

~~_~~You knew you could help her. If Logan would just let you talk to her, just let you talk to her, to make her see that you were both fire, but she could be good fire with you. But he just pushed you away, instructing you to stay down, and under no circumstances, look up, because he had had to do it. You nodded, and you heard the chink of his claws. And you looked up and you saw Logan with his claws buried in your sister and the world on fire and her eyes were black and blank and they stared at you and you scraped your fingernails on Logan’s healing face and you ran. You screamed and screamed and the earth shook and now you were on fire too like her and water sizzled and now you would become the queen of the sky and you felt like you were dying too and you ran and ran, thinking she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s gone, she’s in a million pieces, she’s dead and she’s never coming back. You could have saved her but he killed her, and she’s dead and gone and she’s never coming back to you. Your sister was dead and your family was dead to you, too.~~ _ ~~

-of when your world was turned upside down. You could faintly hear Steve answer a phone, and Wanda and Pietro murmuring in Sokovian, and Sam and Rhodey saying what a poor girl. But Clint pulled you back into reality as you took a shuddering breath, pushing away old memories, and turning away from the store. 

“(Y/N)?” Clint murmured, pulling away from you to brush away the tears and your cheek. “Are you okay?” his eyes searched yours, and you counted to ten, before nodding. He let out a sigh of relief, pulling you back into his embrace and you couldn’t tell if this was his protective instincts or something else. 

“Guys,” Steve voice broke you out of your reverie, and you looked up. His blue eyes met yours, a silent conversation happening. You gave him a watery smile, and you could see him visibly relax, before focusing on the task at hand. “We have a situation.” 


	12. Lesson 11

**SUPERHERO 101  
**

**Lesson 11: How to be a hero, while cameras are rolling.**

_“She’s an Avenger.”_

 

“What kind of situation?” Sam asked as Clint’s arm around you tightened. “Like a scary situation, or like a fun situation?” Rhodey let out a little laugh, and you rolled your eyes

Steve sighed, rubbing his nose. “Sam, now is not the time for jokes,” he answered, his voice serious. “A bank robbing went wrong in downtown New York, and now there is a hostage crisis.”

You gasped, as everyone else showed varying amounts of surprise. Natasha’s lips shifted slightly into a frown, while Clint muttered a curse under his breath. The twins instinctively grabbed each other’s hands, and there was a  her eyes flashed red. Sam and Rhodey were drained of their giddiness, and Sam’s shoulder’s slumped. Your own problems were forgotten, and you forced that seed of darkness into the back of your mind ~~but she’s gone, she’s gone, she’s never coming back, and you couldn’t save her.~~ _I couldn’t save her, but I’m gonna save them,_ you promised.

“How many people are there?” you asked, as Steve led the team back in the direction of the cars. Clint kept a careful eye on you as jogged to keep up with the rest of the team.

The captain was silent for a moment, and all you could hear was the sound of your own heart beating. “Thirty,” he finally answered, and you let out a loud curse.

“God damn,” you replied, seeing the team cars in sight. Pietro and Wanda were already there, and the Sokovian man impatiently tapping the car door. “What kind of weapons do they have?”

“Plasma guns, and a lot of them,” Steve paused, and you stopped your jogging. “(Y/N), we’re gonna need your help with this one, and I need to know if you can-”

“I can handle it, Steve,” you interrupted him, brushing past him towards the cars. But, you didn’t even get a foot, when you were yanked back by your captain. “What?” you growled, glaring at his hand on your arm.

Steve’s eyes were gentle, and he pulled you closer to him. “(Y/N), I wasn’t implying that you couldn’t handle this, I was just worried for you. We all were,” he murmured, his voice low and soft.

You relaxed, and let out a long sigh. “I know, Steve,” you replied, but you couldn’t look him in the eyes. “Just… sometimes, it’s better to leave these things for a rainy day.” And before he could open his mouth, you were already in the car. ~~you could feel yourself closing up and those emotions going away and you didn’t want them to go but you had too.~~

Wanda and Pietro smiled at you as you climbed in the back with them. Sam, Rhodey, and Clint climbed into the middle, while Steve and Nat got the front. Steve started the car, and the team was off.

The car was silent, and Wanda, sensing you didn’t want to talk, merely squeezed your hand. Pietro followed suit, giving you a kiss on the cheek, the frowned. “ _Lyublyu,_ why are you not buckled?” he accused, as you got your suit out of your bag.

“Why, I can’t fight in this, can I?” you gestured to your frilly, daisy dress, and Wanda snorted.

“I guess so,” he admitted, and you gave him a smirk. Unzipping your dress, you saw Pietro blush a bright red, and mutter lowly in Sokovian. Wanda let out a louder laugh, and you shook your head. _Despite his talk of winning me over, Speedy really is a gentleman,_ you thought in amusement to yourself, as you pulled on your black, scaly suit. It felt familiar and comfortable, you decided, and with an inhale of breath, you zipped it up.

“Okay, if you guys are done messing around in the back,” Steve met your eyes in the mirror, and you just shrugged, giving him a wink. “Here’s the plan. Quicksilver, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, you guys go in first, scout the area, but _do not_ , under _any_ circumstances, **engage**. Understood?” instead of meeting your eyes, Steve stared at both Clint and Pietro. Clint gave in first, biting his lip and nodded. Pietro waited for a few seconds, before giving Steve a small nod. “Good. After the area is scouted, and only after, will Genesis go in. Genesis, you have to, somehow, get them to either stand down or take them out. You understand, (Y/N)?” he asked, and you nodded.

Your head was spinning with all the details as you pulled up to the bank. Clint and Nat hopped out and sprinted towards the scene, and Pietro struggled for a moment and muttered “God damn American cars and their goddamn need for space and stupid, shitty seats” before he was off too. Besides you, Wanda played with her hands anxiously, as Steve conversed quietly with the team on the coms.

“Hey, Sam,” you asked, leaning over the seat in front of you. “You don’t happen to have a… gun?” you cringed when you said that word, regretting your choice to leave your knives and whip at home.

Sam quirked a brow at you. “You serious, Princess?” you nodded, and he let out a noise of surprise. Reaching down to his ankle, he unstrapped a small handgun from his holster and handed it to you. It fit perfectly in your hand, but you felt your stomach churn. Memories flashed through your mind of your Master forcing you to shoot with the intent to kill, while you sobbed and your powers swirled angrily inside of you. But you swallowed it down, strapping it to your belt. _Sometimes it’s better to leave these things for a rainy day,_ you thought ruefully to yourself.

“Genesis,” Steve said, snapping you out of your thoughts. You sat up, alert, and you thought you saw pride flash in his blue eyes. “They’ve scouted the scene. Black Widow is waiting outside the bank to help you in.” Nodding, you climbed over the seat (much more nimble than Pietro, you might add) and jumped out of the car. Wishes of luck sounded behind you, as the rest of the team readied themselves to go in.

The sound of sirens and loud voices greeted you as you jogged towards the bank. News vans were parked everywhere, and you could feel the reporter’s eyes on you. “It seems there’s a new player here today folks, besides Quicksilver, Black Widow, and Hawkeye,” you heard a newscaster murmur as you jogged past him. “We aren’t sure if she’s an Avenger, one of the X-Men, or just a vigilante…” The cacophony of voices quieted as you neared the yellow “Do Not Cross” line that stretched the scene.

An officer noticed you, and held up a hand. “I’m sorry, ma’am, the Avengers are taking care of this.” his eyes swept your black suit, and his nose wrinkled in disgust. _I bet it’s one of those mutant freaks,_ he thought, your minor telepathy picking up on his hateful thoughts.

You raised an eyebrow, rage building inside of you. “Excuse me?” you seethed. “I’m Genesis, and I’m-”

Before you could finish your passionate speech, Natasha interrupted you. “And she’s an **Avenger,** ” she finished, coming up to stand by the officer. “trying to do her job here, officer, so I suggest _you_ get out of her way.” her voice was icy, and the officer gulped, quickly letting you in.  _Before I make you,_ she added in her head.

“Thanks, Nat,” you said gratefully, as the two of you jogged towards the side opening of the bank.

She snorted, rolling her eyes. “They deserved it.” Holding the door open for you, you and Nat stepped in quietly, flipping up your hood, and going invisible. 

“Okay Genesis,” she murmured in your earpiece, as she carefully walked in front of you. “The six robbers and the thirty hostages are on the top floor, where all the cubicles are. The hostages are on the west side, and the robbers patrol the top floor before two of them head downstairs. The two come down in,” she quickly checked her watch. “in three minutes. By that time, you must be on the top floor. Understood?”

“Understood,” you whispered, adjusting your hood slightly. “But what about you? And Pietro? And Clint?”

The Black Widow scoffed. “Don’t worry about _me_ or _Clint_ ,” she paused. “Maybe worry about _Pietro_ a little bit, but worry about yourself the most. Good luck, Genesis,” she whispered before she disappeared towards the back of the bank.

You let out a shaky breath, before moving quietly up the stairs. Even though you were invisible, you still had to be careful to avoid anything that you could tip over, or step on. Gripping Sam’s gun in your hand, you stepped up onto the first step. No creak. The second step. No creak. And so on, before you got to the second to the last step. **Creak**. Holding your breath, you listened intently, but all you could hear were the faint sounds of the robbers and hostages on the west side.

Letting out a sigh, you quickly went up the last step, you paused, surveying your surroundings. Two offices in your immediate sight. One bathroom by the second office. Long hallway which you thought led to the cubicles- scratch that, it definitely led to the cubicles. “Genesis, check in,” came Steve’s soft voice in your earpiece.

“I’m approaching the cubicles,” you whispered, taking a small step towards the cubicles. The voices of the robbers became louder, along with muffled cries.

“Widow, do you have eyes on Gen?” Steve asked, and you paused for a moment.

“ **Negative** ,” she replied. “I’m on the first taking care of two of the guards.”

“Hawkeye?”

Pause.

“ **Affirmative** ,” Clint’s voice was quiet and a little hoarse. “I see both her and the targets. She’s close.”

“Quicksilver?”

Longer pause.

“Ah… **Negative,** ” Pietro replied. “I’m searching one of the offices.”

The rapid beating of your heart calmed down, and it made you feel a bit better that at least one of your teammates had eyes on you. Your grip on your gun became tighter and tighter, until it felt like the gun was going to leave a permanent mark on your gloves as you stood outside of the large room that held the cubicles. Cubicles and desk were tipped over, and the majority of them pushed near the east wall.  The hostages were on the west side, near the windows, as the robbers paced nervously around the room.

“God dammit! Why the hell did they call in the Avengers?” one seethed, and you thought him to be the leader. He held the biggest plasma gun, and the orange purple liquid rolled around in it. A young boy sat near him, and tears rolled down his cheeks. His mother lay next to him, her grip on his hands tight.

“Entering the room,” you whispered so quietly that you weren’t sure anyone could hear you. You made sure to watch your steps as you neared west side. Out of the corner of your eyes, you thought you saw the telltale sign of blue and-

“Where the hell are Jimmy and Fred?” asked the big burly leader, and you paused in your careful steps. _Shit,_ you thought, _those must be the guards Nat took out._ Using your minor telepathy, you pushed yourself into his head. His mind was chaotic, and one of the dirtiest ones you had ever been in. But you finally found what you looked for: their end goal. And it wasn’t pretty. They were going to set off a bomb, once they had cleared out, and they didn’t care about the hostages. Any talk of release for the hostages had just been that- talk.

Preparing to shoot the man, and take the air out of the rest of them, you took another step forward. But you didn’t watch your step. The squeak of a child’s toy rang out in the silent room. You froze, seeing the hostages’ eyes widen, and the robbers’ grip tightens on their guns. The leader turned slowly towards the exact place you were standing, and must have noticed some sort of discrepancy in the air because he started to yell “There’s a bloody _mutie_ in here! Get ou-”

But before he could finish, you hit him over the head with the gun, then shot him in the leg. Twice, for good measure. The rest of the robbers turned their guns towards you, and you swore. Hitting the button the made you visible, you gave them a sneer. “What? Did you think _muties_ couldn’t stand up for themselves?” you mocked, and with a flourish of your hand, they were gasping for air.

Something inside of you roared in joy at this, and something inside of you wanted to **kill them bloodily** and triumph in their- A shuddering breath left you, and you blinked. Twice. You weren’t going to kill them. Just make them sleep. Making a fist, the remaining robber’s eyes rolled back in their heads, and they passed out.

Turning, the hostages watched you with wide, terrified eyes. You could hear their scared thoughts, at the lady in black who brought death. Hell, one woman thought you were a goddess of death. “I’m with the Avengers,” you reassured them. “And-” your attention snapped to the man at your feet as he coughed, giving you a bloody smirk.

“Say goodbye, bitch,” he growled. Your eyes widened, and before you could do anything, he had already pressed the button. Letting out a scream of frustration, you shot him in the head. Twice. But it was to no avail. You could already feel the rumblings of the building starting to crumble beneath you.

“ **Move!** ” you screamed, and the hostages all froze. “What the hell are you waiting for? The building is going to explode!” with the word explode, they all got up, starting to run. Pressing a hand to your earpiece, you bit your lip. “Guys, the building’s going to explode, but I’ll hold it up so everyone can get out.”

“(Y/N)! You get out-” you ripped out your earpiece. Gritting your teeth, you crouched on the floor, pressing your gloved hands into the carpet. You couldn’t explain how it felt. It was like you were reaching down into the ground, and _commanding_ it to hold. The foundation didn’t want to obey. It let out loud moans and groans as it fought against your control. But you wrestled it into control.

Your telepathy seemed to be cooperating today, stretching to new limits. As the last person left the building, the sigh you let out seem to echo in the whole building. Sweat trickled down your eyes as you fought to keep it the floor solid until you reached the window.

Jumping out of it, the whole building imploded, and you braced yourself to land. But before you could land, a pair of metal arms saved you. Looking up, you expected to see Rhodey, but instead, you saw-

“Tony!” you exclaimed, and even though he had the mask on, you could tell he was giving you a cheeky grin.

“Did I miss the party?”


End file.
